Lots of dolphins… And one humpback.
- Bob Perry
- Jun 23
- 1 min read
Image: a super close-up look at a leaping common dolphin.
2026 06–23 SB Channel
Captain Dave and the crew reported great conditions for whale spotting and watching today. There was a high, gray, stratus layer all day, but barely a trace of wind. The water clarity was good. Dave ran a course to the W, just a few miles off the beach. He turned S towards the islands and then returned. Total sightings for the day: 1 humpback whale, 1 ocean sunfish (Mola mola), and 3500 common dolphins.
Most of our time today could legitimately be called a “dolphin watching” cruise. Groups of all sizes, some of them in the hundreds, a few in the thousands, were seen everywhere we went. One of the larger groups was particularly aerial, especially after Captain Dave put the Condor Express into a tight circle. This prompted the little beasts to demonstrate their body surfing ability which included a lot of air time. (See today’s photo for an example).
Along the way, there was 1 small ocean sunfish (Mola mola), that spooked pretty quickly and headed for deep water.
Out on the edge of the lanes we had great looks, and spent quite a bit of time, following a single humpback whale CRC-19979, named “Kink,” after its disfigured tail area. It was moving NW at a moderate speed. Most of its travel was just below the surface, which we call “snorkeling.“
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
